When something doesn't seem quite right

Deborah McDermott dmcdermott@seacoastonline.com @dmcdermoSMG

Tuesday

Jul 10, 2018 at 2:14 PMJul 10, 2018 at 3:57 PM

YORK — For eight hours or more every weekday, more than 25 Parks and Recreation camp counselors play with, plan activities for and befriend 168 children age 3½ to 14. Over the years, said Junior Camp co-director Anna Schindler, there were times when they’ve wondered: Is that bruise more than a fall in the playground? Is this acting-out behavior just a bad day or indicative of something more?

“I’ve looked at a child and I’ve thought, ‘you seem like you have a difficult life.’ You kind of wonder. On the other hand people don’t want to overstep. You’re not sure,” said Schindler, a student at the University of Southern Maine and a counselor for six years. “But we do have an obligation to make sure the kids are OK.”

Studies by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire indicate 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are victims of child sexual abuse. But it’s a topic that leaves people uneasy, not wanting to “overstep.” In York, the Enough Abuse campaign launched 15 months ago is working to train individuals and groups who deal with children to recognize the signs.

And this summer for the first time, Enough Abuse volunteers are training camp counselors in York and Wells. One day just before the start of camp last week, co-founder and York Hospital emergency care doctor Jeanine Ward spent several hours with York’s counselors. They learned how to recognize the warning signals in victims and typical characteristics of a perpetrator. And they learned the proper chain of command if they notice something that doesn’t seem quite right.

The training is all the more important because the counselors are all “mandated reporters” under state law — people like doctors or teacher or ministers who interact with children and are required to report suspected cases of child sexual abuse to authorities.

“It was amazing information. Really eye opening,” said Junior Camp co-director Ashley Gerbino, a four-year veteran counselor and recent college graduate. “You get to know these kids. If their attitude changes one day, if they’re acting differently, that could be a sign. This is a great tool to have in our back pocket.”

Parks and Recreation Director Robin Cogger said she first learned about the Enough Abuse campaign when it was launched. She said during pre-camp training in past years, the Parks and Rec senior staff has touched on the fact the counselors are mandated reporters.

“But this training took it a big step further," she said. "It gave them the skills and the tools to maybe recognize something more specific. It was some pretty heavy stuff. Remember, these are young people themselves. But they were receptive and understanding.”

Ward said the counselors “asked lots of great questions. The bottom line is, they may be the first line for kids who need some help. They play a huge role if a child is comfortable disclosing.”

Junior Camp counselor Emma Bychok said as the summer goes on, the children get to know counselors and trust them. “They may not volunteer anything. They may tell a story. Is it real? Is it a dream? Sometimes it’s hard to know," she said. "But we are mandated reporters. So now we know to have a conversation with Ashley or Anna if we suspect something.”

Schindler said the counselors were specifically pleased to know the proper channels. They are to go to the directors first. “We document everything anyway. If a child will say something or do something, if they fall down and get hurt, or if we see a behavior we worry about, we write it down," she said. "As directors we were trained to report, and now the counselors have been included. It’s good for them to understand what to do.”

From there, the directors would go to Cogger and potentially to Enough Abuse co-founder and police officer Jamie Robie, who would take over and ask any hard questions that need to be asked of the adults in a child’s life.

Gerbino said many of the counselors would like to get involved in the Enough Abuse campaign’s “Pledge to Prevent” program. The program’s website provides concrete steps people can do to increase awareness in the community.

“They want to be volunteers. Just to get the word out about this project," Gerbino said. "It’s so important for people to know. A lot of people in York probably don’t think this is happening here, but it is.”

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